I can buy a huge bunch of parsley for 50 kurus (28 cents) or a kilo of super ripe, cherry red tomatoes for only 1 TL as well as 3 �Lacoste� polos for 10 TL each. The price, selection and quality of produce here is far superior than anything you�ll find at the supermarkets. Often, you even can buy kitchen utensils, tools, toys and things you didn't even know you needed.
Many neighborhoods in Istanbul boast a weekly pazar on a particular day of the week. On Saturdays, we frequent the large pazar in Besiktas on N�zhetiye Cad. On Tuesdays, I generally go to the Sali Pazari in 4Levent.
But last week, I discovered the Tuesday pazar in Arnavutk�y. This is an area I don�t usually go because it seems so far away, but it only took me 20 minutes (no trafffic) to reach by bus along the shore road from Besiktas. The pazar is located near the Ogul Sokak.
The Arnavutk�y pazar is a bit smaller than some of the others I�ve been to in the city, but still worth the effort to search out. I still managed to find a few items I haven�t seen elsewhere as well as the first crop of nar (pomegranate).
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| These don't look quite ripe to me as the outer skins are usually more reddish. |
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| A typical pazar stand - full of beans, cucumbers, peppers and eggplant. |
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| A strange kind of pickling cucumbers I've never seen before. |
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| Typical pickling cucumbers. |
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| Fried green tomatoes anyone? |
One stall also had a wide variety of dried herbs for teas, such as this sari papatya (chamomile).
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| In the Midwest, we call these ground cherries. My mom used to grow tons of these in her garden where I would just pick them fresh off the plant and eat them. |
Afiyet Olsun!
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| A table full of melons and artichokes. |
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| Visit Kemal for some of the best and reddest tomatoes! |
Other Istanbul pazars to check out:
- Monday - G�ztepe, Uskudar/Baglarbasi area near Selami Ali Mah.
- Tuesday - Arnavutk�y, Kadik�y, 4Levent, Bah�esehir
- Wednesday - Fatih and Yesilk�y, �zg�rl�k Park
- Thursday - Ulus, Erenkoy - near the railroad tracks
- Friday - Uskudar - near Uskudar High Street
- Saturday - Besiktas and Bakirk�y, Bah�esehir
- Also on Saturdays - an organic pazar called Ferik�y Halk Pazari in the Ferik�y district of Sisli, (Bomonti Caddesi, Lala Sahin Sokak), from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday - There is supposed to be a massive, incredible street market in Tarlabasi, but I haven�t been to it yet.
You may even find one of these handy Istanbul Eats Bazaar tote bags for sale.
If I missed a particular pazar, please let me know.